Nothing can get you out of a bad state and into love, compassion, or joy as fast as a good movie. You don't have to do anything but select something constructive, and the film does the work for you.
One film that fits perfectly into our January theme perfectly, is Love, Actually. It was made right after 9/11, and as I understand the aim was to set a counterpoint to the prevailing mood of revenge, sadness, and anger that had gripped a hold of people in the US at the time. You could see it in the arts, in TV especially. Ally McBeal went from cute to bitchy, dark series were favored, and even a series like Star Trek, which had always been positive and focused on finding understanding, compassion, and light, changed, Captain Archer from Star Trek truly went to places no captain had gone before, but not in good way. You could see America change, right in front of your eyes, and a lot of us who loved America, and who had always admired the US for the relentless positivity and openness thought: "No, guys, that's exactly what they wanted.... The destruction of the twin towers is horrible, but it is nothing compared to the destruction of the soul if you get lost on the path you're on now. The world needs you to stay positive and open, to show us what it looks like... "
In this atmosphere of revenge and hate and emotional shutdown, which was of course understandable, but also hurt the people in it, Love Actually came out to remind people that there was still love and beauty in the world, if we looked for it, and it was a beautiful, beautiful light in the dark at the time, that melted more than one soul.
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